No turning back
by rosee-1518
Summary: When Rachel has a prophetic dream, Jason and Piper have to leave their camp to find the location of her vision. Finding the location proves to be the easy task, but a set of wrong decisions lead to a war, where friends fight against friends, brothers against brothers, while the gods simply wait and watch. Title sucks. I'm going to change it as soon as I get a better idea.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: When Rachel has a prophetic dream, Jason and Piper have to leave their camp to find the location of her vision. Finding the location proves to be the easy task, wrong decisions lead to war, where friends fight against friends, brothers against brothers, while the gods simply wait and watch.

Note: I've had this idea floating around for a while now. Let's see how it goes. Tell me what you think, maybe tell what you'd like to see. Constructive criticism is something I'd appreciate. Sorry if there are any mistakes.

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><p><span>Chapter 1: Rachel's dream <span>

On an uneventful July afternoon, Jason and Piper were called to Chiron's office. The matter, the son of Hermes explained, was urgent and required the two heroes' immediate attention.

The son of Zeus- excuse me - _Jupiter_ had other plans for a hot summers day, like watching the Star Wars trilogy or swimming in the lake. But no! Enjoying himself, even just for a day, was not something the dear, lovely gods wanted. Now Jason and his girlfriend were standing inside Chiron's office, where the centaur and the Oracle, a red-haired girl called Rachel, were explaining to them why they had been called.

"The thing is this -"

_There has been a disturbance in the force, _ Jason thought and had to bite his lip to hide his grin. Damn, he loved Star Wars so much it hurt. He needed to watch it again. He wondered shortly if Piper would ever consider to -

"Jason? You okay?"

The demigod shook himself. He rubbed his neck, blushing furiously. Rachel grinned. Piper raised an eyebrow. Chiron sighed.

"We called you here, because Rachel had a dream, a vision if you want.", he said.

"So it's bad", Piper said.

Rachel nodded nonchalantly. „Yep."

"Important dreams or visions are rarely good news. We prefer being surprised by the good than by the bad things. So-". Chiron cleared his throat. "Rachel, would you mind telling them what you've told me?"

She nodded, flipping her curly hair from her face.

"Okay. In my… dream, in the beginning I was in my cave, when suddenly a voice called me to go outside."

"Whose voice?", Piper asked worriedly. Voices were never good.

She shook her head. „I don't know.", she said. "But she only said my name over and over again until I left my cave." The Oracle took a deep, shaky breath.

"I wasn't at camp Half-Blood anymore", she said. "I didn't recognize the place – it was a city. " She took a paper from her folder. She handed it over to the two demigods.

It was a beautiful, yet sad charcoal drawing of an open gate. The wide, strong doors were unhinged, someone had broken through. The opening gave a small view to what lay beyond the walls. Bodies lay dead before and behind the gate, black lines covered their faces so they were unrecognizable.

Rachel gave them another one. "When I walked through the gate", she continued quietly. "I saw the city burning, the buildings were in ruins. There were holes in the ground from explosions…"

Jason and Piper looked at each other. Besides being absolutely beautifully drawn, the pictures showed nothing good.

Rachel had seen a city. The buildings looked like they'd been strong and beautiful, but with all the red and black and orange the Oracle had used to paint the fire and blood, all reminders of beauty were lost.

"I walked deeper into the city. I saw dead people, I couldn't see their faces, but I must've known them, because I cried in my dream. Both sides lost people."

Piper gasped at the third drawing.

Rachel had painted a large street. The houses were crumbling and on the sides of the pavement, bodies scattered around the ground. At the distance she'd drawn the conquering army.

"Do- did you see who these people were?", she asked.

"The conquerors?" Rachel shook her head. "But whoever they were, I wasn't happy about what they'd done."

"This means this army is going to take this city. Did the voice say anything else to you?", Jason inquired, giving the drawings back to the owner.

The Oracle shook her head again.

"No, but she didn't need to." She closed the folder tightly. "These people are in danger. If this battle has gone unnoticed by the rest of the country, it means that something powerful is hiding them. We need to find this city and warn them before the others get there first!"

Jason nodded serious.

Chiron stood up from his wheelchair. "That's why I have decided to give you the task of finding this place, Jason.", he said.

"Oh…. So, this is a quest?"

"No. At least, not officially." Chiron put a hand on his shoulder. "This is not a prophecy. A prophecy would be official. Dreams, however, can be... deceptive."

"Because porphecies are always so clear", Piper muttered.

"Your task is to find the city and warn the people living there. Offer them our help."

"And what if they don't want our help?", Piper asked.

Chiron opened his mouth, but Rachel beat him to it.

"They will need our help eventually. If they say no, just show them my drawings. Here-"

Piper caught the folder.

"Show them and they'll accept our help."

"Yeah, but what if it's a false alarm? If it was really just a dream to scare you? To lure us out from our camp to attack?"

"Piper, if they wanted to scare me the voice would have said more. Instead, she just said my name and let me _see_ everything." Rachel shook her head. "This is real. It is going to happen. Who knows? Maybe it's happening right now and we're just wasting our time talking!"

Chiron nodded. "That is why you have to leave today, Jason. Take whoever you want with you, but not more than two. I don't want you to call attention."

Jason nodded. „I'll take Piper.", he said without needing to think. "We'll say we're on vacation or something."

"Yeah, but where do we start looking?"

"I don't know for sure, but the city seemed to be very… isolated. I mean, an army conquered a city, killed hundreds of people and no one noticed! It has to be somewhere where not many people live!"

"Okay", Jason said, rubbing his forehead. "Then we… we'll study the map and go to the secluded areas. What could possibly go wrong?"

"Well, there are still monsters we have to worry about."

"Thanks, Piper."

"My pleasure, Grace."

As Piper held the door open, waiting for her boyfriend, Jason turned to Rachel.

"Call us as soon as you know more, okay?"

She gave a nod. "Don't worry. I'll be sleeping a lot."


	2. Chapter 2

**I was surprised by the positive reviews, THANK YOU! I wasn't planning on updating so fast, but I've got nothing to do (except studying, and doing homework), but since you liked it... **

**I hope you had a beautiful Christmas.**

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><p><span>Chapter 2<span>: The City and the River

**A**fter travelling for a week and two days, they finally found the city Rachel had dreamt of. Thirty different locations, they fought probably more monsters during their journey than during the Giant War and spent most of their time walking. Now they were sore, thirsty, hungry and TIRED. So the people better be grateful for their help or else...

Though, Piper had to admit she'd never seen such a beautiful place before. She'd travelled quite a bit – mostly for business reasons (quests) and had seen truly astounding places. This city was different. So... untouched, wide and spacious.

The mist followed them, dimmed gold by the warm sunlight. It moved lazily, like silk. It seemed to be teasing them by dodging their steps as they moved deeper into the city.

A profound sense of peace settled within her at the stillness around them – it was unlike anything she'd ever felt before. It was not a feeling or a state of mind. She could not describe it; no word was discriptive enough. The demigod had to stop walking, she didn't notice she had already. She simply stood there, seeing for the first time how precious this place was.

A hand on her shoulder brought her back to reality. Jason Grace, her boyfriend, smiled warmly at her, questioning her with his blue eyes if she was alright.

Jason pressed her hand gently.

"Come on", he whispered softly. "We should get going."

"Yeah… yes, we should.."

They ventured further into the city. The mist was their constant companion, moving swiftly, lazily as if it had just woken up from a long nap.

"Do you think anybody lives here? It _is_ the city from Rachel's drawings so...", Jason asked after a while. He was frowning slightly. "It just… we haven't crossed anybody since we've arrived."

Piper agreed with him. She was surprised she hadn't noticed before, but it was shocking and unnerving that they hadn't crossed anybody's path yet. Two powerful demigods like them alone… Shouldn't they have been attacked by now? Where in Zeus' name were the monsters? There was no sign of them, but Piper didn't take that as a good sign either. Experience had taught her that you needn't look like a monster to be one.

What the heck was going on here?

The mist made way for them as Jason and Piper passed between two bulky towers. The haze covered the two constructions like a blanket. But the gurgling sound of a nearby stream caught the two demigods' attention. They were thirsty, so they followed the sound.

Once there, they sat down, relieved to be able to relax. Jason stretched his legs and arms, dropping to the ground with a deep and content sigh. He stayed in that position for over twenty minutes without moving. Piper was more productive during that time.

She washed the sweat from her face, neck and underneath her arms. With a rag she poured the cool water over her heated back and legs, closing her eyes and sighing at the feeling. Immediately she felt stronger. She guessed that this was how Percy must feel everytime he came in contact with water. Piper felt like she could outrun a horde of monsters, like there was no threat in the world that could defeat her. She was unstoppable. Unbeatable. Indestructible. She could defeat anyone.

Piper sat up straighter and moved away from the stream. Her heart skipped a few beats as she realized that something was wrong with the water. It had made her feel.. powerful. _Too powerful_. As if she could defeat the go- No! She didn't dare even think about it. But she could do it. She would the-

_Enough!_

She shook her head to clear her head. She would – could not let Jason anywhere near the stream. He was one of the Big Three, one of the most powerful demigods alive.

She glanced at him. Her boyfriend was still in the same position. Jason often said she worried to much. He was right. And she tried to change that. But worrying was something that came naturally to her. The stream and the silence worried her. The future worried her. The clear sky made her nervous too.

Piper leaned her back against the narrow wall that separated the water channel from the empty street. She closed her eyes and began to breathe deeply in and out. It was a method the Apollo kids had recommended her if she ever felt the need to relax. The effects of this method didn't disappoint. Piper felt her body relax and her mind felt lighter. She began to feel calmer.

Then her eyes opened. Instinctively, Piper reached for her dagger, but there was nothing - no one around. She shook her head and reached for her bag, taking out their food. She took large gulps from the waterbottle, careful not to drink too much, before taking a bite off her sandwich. She shook Jason awake. Her boyfriend jumped to his feet, expecting an attack, but he quickly sat down next to his girlfriend as he realized they were really alone. Piper handed him a sandwich with a smile and he took it, his cheeks flushed in embarrassement and his eyes a bit puffy from sleep.

The couple finished eating for the moment and sat in silence. Piper closed her eyes, resting her back against the wall. Jason stared absent-mindedly at the flowing river. It sparkled underneath the sun, its color not blue, but translucent like a crystal. There was something different about it, something unique that Jason did not see when looking at the sea. This river flowed with a tranquility that the sea had not.

He wondered if it felt so cool as it looked. He wondered if it tasted as good as he imagined. Was it as fresh as the wind on a clearing? The water... If he drank it, would it drown his thirst like the water from the mountains? It looked so cold and wet and delicious. And maybe.. Maybe it tasted even better?

How would the water feel on his skin if he dived into it?

Jason licked his lips, noticing how dry his mouth was. He was really thirsty. He glanced at his girlfriend, who seemed to have fallen asleep. Then back at the water. It flowed so nicely. Almost like the mist. Just more... fluent. Like... water... Jason sighed and closed his eyes. He felt embarrassed for a reason.

He crawled to the river. Dipped his hands into the water. Jason sighed with his eyes closed. There were no words to describe the feeling of the liquid on his skin. So cool, so fresh, so soft. There was no way the gods could ever imitate this beautiful thing. It deserved to be unique. It had to be protected from all harm.

Jason lifted his hands and reached down with his mouth to drink the water. If it felt so good, he couldn't begin to imagine how deliciously wonderful it would taste!

"Jason, DON'T!"

Jason turned his head to her. "What is it?", he asked with a frown.

His girlfriend hesitated. "It's- I have a bad feeling about it."

"Why?"

She hesitated again. "I don't know. Just... stay away from it"

"But why?" He was whining. Like a three-year old begging for candy.

"Something is wrong with the water", she said after hesitating for the millionth time.

Jason almost scoffed. Almost. He knew Piper's limits and he was the last one, who wanted to cross them.

"Wrong? What is WRONG with it, Piper?", he asked with fake patience.

Piper pinched the bridge of her nose. "Jason, I'm really tempted to -" She caught herself. "Nevermind. Just... Just stay away from it."

Jason hesitated. The anger faded a litte. He studyied her. After all these years together he still didn't understand her completely. He had gotten to know her limits, knew which buttonsto push and which ones not, but that was it. She was still a mystery. Like the river.

He glanced at the water. Then at Piper. And back to the stream. It looked so inviting. The sea was different. This river was pure and cool and he could drink it. He crawled closer. Immersed his hands into the water. It was as soft and cold and lovely as he had imagined.

"Jason!"

He smiled. Piper's voice was truly the most beautiful sound in this world. Beethoven could have composed a symphony based only on her voice. Just like the stream. It deserved to be protected. It was so cool and fresh and lovely.

Jason lifted his hands, leading them to his mouth. His hands had formed the shape of a bowl and he reached to drink the water.

"Jason!"

"WHAT are you doing, young man? Stop it, right NOW!"

The water poured down from his hands. He had not tasted it. He felt dizzy, as if he'd just woken up from deep slumber.

"Jason". Piper lay a hand on his shoulder and shook him. "I TOLD you not to do it!", she hissed.

"Sorry", he responded with a frown. He looked up.

The person, who had so rudely stopped him from drinking, stood tall on the other side of the river. He looked his father's age - that is, like a regular middle-aged man. Only he didn't wear a suit or a beard. His father and this man shared the same disapproving expresion every grown-up person uses when they see someone younger doing something they don't approve off.

Piper stood up, brushing the dust from her pants as she did so. She smiled at him and Jason couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. She had such a beautiful smile. This man didn't deserve that smile!

"I'm sorry, sir", she said politely in her best charmspeaker voice. Even Jason believed she was sorry.

The man frowned a little. "Well... you- you should." He cleared his throat. He pointed a finger at Jason, who shot him his best death-glare. "_He_ should be sorry!"

"I know, sir. I tried to stop him-"

"How dare he desecrate the sacred river!"

Piper raised her eyebrows. "Sacred?" Now she was curious. She had suspected that there was something different, maybe even dangerous about the river, but she couldn't imagine what made it so special.

The stranger nodded gravely. "Yes. No one's allowed to drink or bathe in it."

Piper swallowed. "What happens if someone does drink or... bathes in it?"

He shrugged. "Nothing bad. It gives you a blessing. Heals you. "

She nodded slowly. That explained why she'd felt so powerful when she'd washed the sweat from her face and arms. It seemed that even the smallest contact with the water was able to change you.

"If it heals, why don't you use it more often?", asked Jason.

The man glared at Piper with a Is-he-serious-look. She shrugged apologetically.

"Why? Because good things should not be taken for granted! If we used it for every single, trivial thing the water would lose its power!"

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Who told you that?"

"Jason, shut up.", Piper said, stepping forward. She could feel the man and her boyfriend getting angrier the more they argued. The best thing would be to leave. "I am sorry, sir. He's just being curious. We were leaving anyway."

"Really?"

"Really?"

Jason stared at her in disbelief, the man in relief. Piper smiled. She offered her hand to Jason, who took it.

"Yes, we've been here long enough", she said and squeezed his arm to shut him up before he could open his mouth again. He rubbed his arm.

"Ouch."

The strange man nodded approving. "I think that's for the best" He smiled at her. Piper returned the gesture, leading her boyfriend away from the river.

„I can't believe you would embarrass me in front of others!"

Jason huffed. He opened his mouth to retort something in his defense, but changed his mind.

„Come. Let us leave this place.", she said flatly.

He shrugged and quickened his pace, Piper followed slowly.

The stream gurgled, its voice reminded her of giggling. She frowned, glaring at her boyfriend's neck. If she was honest with herself, Jason had embarrassed her before and this time was not as bad as the previous cases. She didn't understand why she was so frustrated. Everything had been fine until a few moments ago. She was close to blaming this strained situation between them on the river. But again, if she was being honest with herself, she had to admit that nothing bad would've happened if that stranger hadn't been so aggressive. She and Jason had been on their feet all day, so it was understandable that Jason was being a bit sensitive. But again, the stranger couldn't have known.

Piper sighed. She felt terrible. She recalled the peaceful feeling she'd felt when she'd seen this city. It was the exact opposite of how she felt now. She rubbed her forehead, an invisible burden dropped onto her shoulders. Right now, the only thing the demigod wanted to do, was to lay down and do nothing at all. Maybe sleep. Or listen to music. Music always helped. Perhaps Jason could hug her. Hold her close to him. He always provided comfort when she was sad.

Piper stopped on her tracks. Her eyes wandered around, trying to recognize the buildings from before. However no building or street was familiar to her. Her stomach dropped. She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth.

Great. Thank you _great_ gods, for being SO helpful!

„Jason! Wait!"

Jason, who had walked on, turned around. He didn't look good either.

Piper shrinked in size as she said: „We're lost."

Jason groaned and stumbled, having to lean on a wall to not fall to his knees.

„Great!", he groaned. „Just- Fuck." He waved his hand and sat down, turning his back on her.

Piper looked back. The mist slid lazily around her. She'd never felt so alone before.

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><p><strong>Now, if you excuse me, I have to go drink water because I'm thirsty.<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Finding Old Friends

**A**nnabeth looked with her arms crossed through the window. She tapped her arm, gnawing anxiously her lower lip.

There was a shy knock on the door to her office.

"Come in!"

She turned and forced a smile, when Hazel closed the door behind her.

"Hazel!"

She pointed at the chair in front of her desk and sat down on hers. Her friend grinned.

"So, what's so important that I had to stand up at seven in the morning on a sunday, hm?"

Annabeth leaned back against her chair.

"Percy was just here and he -"

"Oh… it's that why nothing is on your desk? Did you two-"

"I just cleaned up my desk, Hazel!", Annabeth cried out, her cheeks flushing. "And nothing ever happened here!"

"Really? Because it didn't look like it last time when Abe and I came in. I'm not judging you. You can be hone-"

Annabeth closed her eyes and groaned.

"Anyway, I need you to take your group and check the eastern section.", she said.

Hazel groaned. "Annabeth, it's half past seven in the morning!"

"So?"

She huffed and put her hands on her friend's desk.

"So?", she cried. "We had a party yesterday that went on till four in the morning!"

"I know! I'm tired as well, but Percy felt someone disturb the water-"

Hazel was wide awake now. She jumped to her feet.

"What?"

Annabeth gave a stiff nod. The daughter of Athena stood up and walked to the window.

"Yes. Someone has trespassed our borders."

"But how… are you sure?"

"Percy is sure. That's enough for me." She hesitated. "Or do you want me to call him?"

Hazel waved a hand. "No… No, it's alright." She ran a hand over her face. "Damn…"

The sun was already up. The birds were chirping and the two demigods heard the city awaken from their short slumber. A hangover after celebrating till late, was no excuse for skipping work. There was still a lot to do.

"At least it's a beautiful day"

Hazel huffed. "Should I bring them in when we find them?"

There was a short silence. Annabeth pondered for a few minutes. She licked her lips. Her eyes wandered over the view of the city. This was her home now. She was in charge of rebuilding it and bringing back ist glory.

She could not risk it being discovered.

"Yes.", she said. "Good luck."

"Thanks. We won't need it."

Annabeth smiled. "No, you won't."

Hazel closed the door behind her and walked out of the building. She inhaled the delicious air and stretched her arms.

Oh, how she wished she could lie in bed right now!

A cat jumped in front of her and transformed into Frank. Hazel smiled tiredly.

"You leaving so early?", he asked teasingly.

His hair was still short. He had grown taller, but his face had lost its childlike features. He had dark circles underneath his eyes.

"You're hangover, aren't you?" Hazel couldn't help but grin.

Her boyfriend groaned, squeezing his eyes shut.

"I just spent an hour with Percy under the water to cool my head, but everytime I leave, it's back!"

Hazel laughed and clapped his arm.

"I – told – you – so, Frank."

Frank rolled his eyes. „Nevermind", he said with a sly grin. "At least, I don't have to go to work so early. I, for one hand, am going to my bedroom. I will take my shoes off and my socks and then… then I'm going to lie down and sleep. Did you hear me, Hazel?", he called after her, when she walked past him. "I'm going to SLEEP and you're not!"

Hazel shook her head, smiling involuntarily, when Frank laughed.

"Go to sleep, Frank!", she yelled.

"Oh, I will, Hazel! I will! Good night!"

"Ugh, if he wasn't my boyfriend…"

She walked over to her second-in-command's house and knocked strongly against his door.

"ABE!", she shouted. "GET UP! WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY!"

There was a loud, frustrated scream. Abe fell off his bed. He fumbled around, trying to find his pants, then he realized he was already wearing them.

"WHO IS IT?", he shouted.

"It's-"

"Leave me the fuck alone! It's five in the morning!"

Hazel closed her eyes and breathed in and out. She knocked again.

"It's Hazel, you idiot! And it's half past seven!", she yelled. "You _had_ ten minutes to get ready! But now I've changed my mind! Now you only got four!"

"FINE!", he screamed angrily. "I'm putting on my shirt! You HAPPY?"

Hazel didn't hear him anymore. She continued to wake up every – single – one – of the members of her group.

They set off to the east an hour later, all yawning and walking more like zombies than living human beings.

**M**eanwhile, Jason and Piper were hopelessly lost.

"Oh, shit", Jason muttered."I knew it was a bad idea."

Piper sat down on a rock and drank from her bottle of water.

"We should've asked that man where the exit was", she said.

Jason snorted. "That guy? Nah, he wouldn't have helped."

She frowned at him. "He would have. He _wanted_ us to leave."

"Yes and he would have done everything to keep us away from the river!"

Piper sighed and put the bottle back into her bag. "Are you still mad?"

"At what?"

"Come on, Jace… don't be like that…"

"Why? It works for you.", he snapped.

She crossed her arm and stood up. "What?" She didn't wait for him to explain himself. "Listen to me, young man! I know I'm not perfect but if you had to put up with so much shit as I have in my life you would -"

But Jason wasn't listening. His girlfriend continued to speak, while he studied their environment.

They had spend the night in one of the abandoned buildings. Luckily, they were well built, so while they had to sleep on the cold floor, they didn't have to worry to get wet if it rained. The couple had set a campfire, eaten something quickly, but went to sleep shortly after.

He was sure they had found the location of Rachel's dream. While they didn't find the gate from her prophetic dream yet, they had walked past many buildings that had an astonishing resemblance to the ones in Rachel's drawings. Now they only had to find the people living in this place and they could return to camp Half-Blood. The problem was: the place was abandoned! No one had set a foot on this place for many, many years. There was even no sign of that strange man! How was that possible?

Unless the man had come from another direction, which would explain why there was no trace of him.

Jason cleared his throat and turned to his girlfriend. He opened his mouth to suggest going back, when he heard voices. The two froze.

Jason reached after his sword. He nodded behind him.

"Let's go back!", he whispered. "There's a good place to hide and keep watch!"

Piper nodded, her hand grabbed her dagger tightly.

Carefully, quickly, they walked back and hid behind a wall.

"That's good", he said breathlessly. "Now, we have to wait."

"Did you hear if they were monsters?"

He shook his head. "No. They wouldn't have been so..."

"Careful?"

He nodded.

Piper montioned with her head towards the direction the voices had come from.

"They are silent now..."

The two demigods waited for an eternity, they felt. Their hearts beat rapidly, their breathing was ragged and the sun shone heavily on their heads. Jason wished he had taken a hat with him.

His heart skipped a few beats when he heard the shuffling of footsteps approaching their location. The couple exchanged a look. Their eyes shared the same worry. But whoever - whatever waited for them on the other side of the wall, they would defeat it together.

Jason gave a short nod, a gesture Piper understood from past experience. She licked her lips.

"One..."

"...Two..."

He took a deep breath.

"Three!"

The two jumped from their cover and charged, shouting at the top of their lungs. The three strangers, who had appeared, yelled something and drew their weapons. But Jason and Piper were faster and more desperate. Piper's dagger clashed against a woman's, unarming her with one strike. Jason's sword hit the other two stranger's weapon from their hands and pushed them to the ground with one hard shove.

"Stay-"

The man tackled Jason. He landed hard on his back, but he still had his sword in his hand and slashed. The man rolled off him and Jason jumped to his feet again.

"Who-"

There was a loud sound, similar to the sound of a horn. The three strangers looked at each other and ran away. Piper and Jason stormed after them as suddenly the ground began to shake. They gasped in shock and stumbled back as the earth rose into a wall.

"Shit! Shit! Go back!", he yelled. "Go back!"

Piper and Jason ran around a corner, not caring where they were headed, when the earth formed a wall again. A look to every direction showed them that they were surrounded. Large walls, at least seven meters tall, gloomed over them.

Jason put an arm around Piper's hips and pulled her tightly against him. He commanded the winds to carry them over the walls.

They were halfway up, when a woman appeared on the wall behind them. She moved her arms and hands in a short and harsh manner and two metallic sheets shot forward. Jason cried out as something heavy clasped around his feet and started to drag them down.

He urged the winds to become stronger. They were rising again! But suddenly, he felt something hard crash against him. This cold thing clasped around his body and pulled him down and down, until Jason's strength faded and they fell.

Jason couldn't move. Piper groaned and sat up. Her mind was buzzing. The ground trembled as the walls declined in height.

"Sorry for the hard landing." Someone chuckled. "But we couldn't let you leave."

Piper forced herself to look up. She tasted blood, but all pain and anger disappeared as she found the source of the voice.

They were surrounded by twelve people. Piper and Jason were only interested in one. She stood tall despite her small stature. Her dark, curly hair was tied up. Her skin glistened with sweat.

"Oh, shit.", Jason muttered. "Hh-Hazel?"

Piper's jaw fell open, her eyes were wide as she stared in utter disbelief at the person standing in front of them. As the hallucination became real to her, her mouth closed and she got up.

"We didn't expect to... find you, Hazel...", Piper said slowly.

Hazel gave a sigh and a sign to her companions. Everyone jumped from their positions to the ground.

"Well, if it helps... I wasn't expecting you either."

"We're not prisoners, are we?", Jason asked carefully.

She stared at them for a moment.

"No.", she eventually answered. "But I have to ask you to come with us. If- If you say no, we'll have to use force." She swallowed and looked at them. "I don't want to do that."

Piper and Jason stood up, after he had been freed from the metal.

"Don't worry", he said and went to give his old friend a hug. "We're here on a mission"

Hazel gave a weak smile. "Nothing has changed, huh?"

Piper smiled.

"Yeah. I guess some things never change", Jason said with a chuckle.

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><p><strong>I forgot to mention that Hazel's powers are similar to earthbenders from Avatar.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter feels more like a filler and it probably is. That's why I'll update two chapters instead of one.**

**Tell me what you thought and if you have an suggestions. **

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><p><span>Chapter 4: To the Center of the City<span>

**J**ason held her arms softly and studied her. "I can't believe how much you've grown!"

She laughed and nodded. "I know, I know! It's… been a long time."

He smiled weakly, Piper looked at her feet before she met Hazel's eyes again.

"How have you been?"

The daughter of Pluto smiled, unsettling Piper a bit. "I'm fine, thank you. And you guys?"

Jason and Piper exchanged a glance. He gently took her hand.

We're fine", and glancing at his girlfriend for confirmation, said: "We're fine, aren't we?"

Piper smiled, giving him a look only he could decipher. "Yeah. Yeah, we are."

Hazel smiled. One of her companions cleared his throat and Jason could've punched him for interrupting their moment.

"Miss Hazel", the man carefully chipped in. "We're close…"

She sighed, nodding as she turned to face her companions.

"I know.. I haven't forgotten." She turned back to her friends with a smile, but Piper noticed it was forced.

Jason felt the need to thank her for finding them. Even if she had trapped them at first.

"Thank you, Hazel", he whispered as they followed the group. "We were lost and who knows what monsters could've attacked us if he had stayed longer…"

"There are no monsters here.", Hazel said quietly, but he heard.

"What do you mean? Hazel! Wait!"

Hazel ignored him. The group had stopped their moving and stood in front of the largest, most gigantic wall Jason had ever seen.

"Everytime someone crosses our borders we built a wall to protect the main part of the city. It's usually me, who does all the work though."

The others stepped aside as Hazel came closer. She stretched her fingers, rolled her shoulders to loosen her muscles.

Hazel raised her arm, feeling the earth and metal in the wall. She closed her eyes, exhaled deeply, before opening them again. She moved her arm to the side, stroking the air it seemed. The other arm joined the dance-like movements. Then, as quick as the wind, she lifted her foot and stomped down, her arms stretched to the sides.

The earth trembled and Jason watched in awe as the walls separated slowly. A cliff formed between the walls and it continued to move apart until it was wide enough for them to pass. The walls jerked loudly to a halt as the ground underneath shook again.

Hazel and her companions walked through the cliff. Jason and Piper however stood with mouths agape, their eyes large as they stared at the walls. They caught themselves when Hazel asked if they were coming and followed them through the gate.

The walls were thick and strong. Jason suspected it would be impossible to break through them unless loads of greek fire were used. And even then it wouldn't be enough. It would still take a lot of effort – the blood and sweat of many soldiers – to conquer the city.

They were through. The earth swallowed the walls again.

Hazel turned to Jason and Piper. Her face was a mask of smugness and confidence.

"Cool, right?"

Piper laughed, touching her shoulder. "Didn't know you could do that!"

"Yeah, I learned to do this when we rebuild the walls." She laughed at the memory. "Dear gods… what a horrible day…"

"What do you mean?"

"It rained the whole day. It was awful. The mud… everytime I lifted a rock I'd slip. And when I tried to stand up again I'd slip again. It sucked."

"And then you moved the walls.", Jason stated impressed.

"Yeah… but that wasn't until late in the night." She shook her head. "We… were so tired, you have no idea. My arms and legs and my back hurt like you couldn't imagine. And the rain… the stupid rain."

"Why didn't you stop?", Piper asked. "If it was raining so hard, why didn't you leave it for another day?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. Everytime I thought 'bout telling the others to stop, I'd lift a rock and think: ‚Just one more and then I'm done'. And before I knew it, it was night."

"And tired." Piper smiled.

"And hurting everywhere. Angry too. Seriously, I don't think I've ever been so angry before."

"Well, I think it's impressive. And brave", Jason said. "That's how Rome was built."

"Ancient Rome or New Rome?", asked his girlfriend.

He shrugged. "Both probably."

They walked for twenty minutes. Piper noticed that the mist had followed them deeper into the city.

"What's up with the mist?", Jason asked loudly. "It's literally everywhere!"

A man, they would later get to know him as Abe, turned to him.

"It protects the city"

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

The man smiled. He had a pleasant way to smile, very gentle and warm. "Yeah. But don't ask where it comes from. 'Cause we don't know either."

Piper took his hand and squeezed it gently to tell him to drop the subject. Her boyfriend smiled weakly. The time to ask questions would come later anyway. Probably during dinner. They would have a full plate. And then the friendly, conversational questioning would start. Where are you from? How long have you been together? What do you do for a living?

Just because he grew up among strong and disciplined roman demigods, didn't mean he had no idea how regular dinners worked.

Piper's father had made sure he knew exactly how the questioning was done.

„Just ignore the mist. ", Hazel called from the front.

„Ahh, we're here", a woman sighed.

Piper's eyes widened. The annoying mist grew thinner, the walls were behind them, now they stood facing the centre of the city. There was still a lot of work to do – unfinished buildings, healing ruins and trees in the middle of the streets, but Piper could invision how great this place would become in time.

„It's amazing", she said to Hazel, who smiled proudly.

„Yup. All us", Abe said and stretched his back. „So, m'lady. If you don't mind I'd like to go and greet my family."

Hazel rolled her eyes, one of Abe's friends shoved him jokingly.

„Sure. You're dismissed." The companions cheered. „Go and rest."

The group split, each member walking in different directions.

„So, do they know you're a demigod?", Jason asked.

She shrugged in response. „It never came up."

Piper frowned. „And how do they explain your powers then?"

Hazel shrugged again. „Don't know."

„Oh." Piper felt she didn't want to talk about it. „Where are we going?"

„To the pavillon. The headquarters in a way. It's where we usually meet."

„Like the forum in New Rome", Jason said.

„Yeah, something like that. We're not that many. Enough to defend the city against robbers but…"

„Not enough to face an army?"

She nodded solemnly. „Yes."

„I guess that's why you've built the wall."

„It wasn't the only reason. A city needs protection and the wall is a perfect tool."

Piper shook her head. „I can't believe the news didn't report about the wall and the city. But it's probably the work of the mist, right?"

„Yes."

„And do you create the mist?", he asked curiously.

The fact that Hazel evaded his question by pointing at a building and talking about its history, made Piper nervous, disappointed and hurt her. She was confused, could not explain all the secrecy. First the mist, then the strange river and no one felt like explaining anything to them.

They and Hazel, the seven chosen demigods of the prophecy, had gone through so much, lived through life-threatening quests and journeys… hadn't that brought them closer? Did Hazel not trust them? Surely, she hadn't forgotten about the Giant War?

A look at Jason was all she needed to confirm that he felt the same.

Why, Hazel? Why all the secrecy?

But Piper didn't ask. And years after she would still ask herself if the future events could have evolved differently if she had only asked more questions.

They followed their friend in silence. Neither of them tried to re-start the conversation. Piper and Jason were too hurt and confused and had hundred questions floating in their heads to try, and Hazel struggled to think for a solution to the mess she had brought herself and her friends into.

„We're here", she announced quietly as the main square.

Piper felt the heat of the campfire emanating, but what she noticed first was the soft music of a guitar. A young man stroke lazily the strings, while an older man – probably his father – groped the keys on the accordion.

Piper felt relief wash over her. Not because the music was good (they were not even really playing) but because it gave her a sign of life.

The smell of food made her stomach turn painfully. They had been so busy with other things that she had forgotten how hungry she really was.

They entered the forum as Jason had called it. When the people inside saw Hazel they moved to greet her, but hesitated when they noticed the two demigods. A woman rushed her kids into a house and closed the door behind her.

What a warm welcome, Piper thought bitterly.

„Who's that, mommy?", Piper heard a girl ask her mother. The mother shushed her.

„Good afternoon, everyone!", Jason said with a polite and inviting nod.

"We are the good guys", Piper said with determination.

The effect was immediate. Piper was pleased as the people relaxed.

Hazel nodded. "Yeah…yes. They are fine."

"We're sorry", the man with the accordion brushed away the dust from his pants. "We're just not used to any visitors."

Piper smiled. "It's okay. We understand."

The man beamed and went back to his instrument.

"We were told it was safe here!" The woman with the little girl glared at the newcomers. "We were told that no one could-"

"It IS safe, Ebele. The situation hasn't changed."

Piper and Jason froze. Their eyes shot to the main building, searching the source of this very familiar voice.

A young woman with curly blond hair and stormy grey eyes stood at the steps to the main building. Their old friend glanced at them with her intelligent eyes, her face was serious and not at all excited to see her old friends.

"Jason, Piper, welcome to my city."

"I didn't know, Annabeth", Hazel said tiredly. "I'm sorry."

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><p><strong>Honestly, I don't like this chapter. I don't remember why I wrote it or why. Maybe to show that Piper and Jason are not welcome. I don't know.<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**This is a more centered on Piper. She plays an important role in the story. I don't hate her. She's not my favorite character, but I always thought her powers are the most dangerous.**

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><p><span>Chapter 5: Irrational Emotions<span>

"It's been a long time"

Annabeth bit her lip and nodded. "Yes."

"And what… how's life been for you?"

Hazel and Annabeth glanced at each other.

"Crazy", Hazel replied. She breathed a laugh.

"Yeah", Annabeth looked at her hands. "But it's turned okay."

"And… Percy and Frank?"

"They are fine", they said in unison.

Piper raised an eyebrow. "And where are they?"

"They are in town", Hazel answered. "But you won't get to see them tonight. They are busy."

"Oh…" Piper was disappointed. "And why?"

"They've got work to do." The daughter of Pluto offered her breadsticks. "Want any?"

"Y..No, thank you."

"How long have you been here?", Jason insisted. "The construction zones and all that stuff! You must've been here for a few years now!"

"A couple of years." Annabeth smiled proudly. "We've rebuilt this city with our own hands."

He grinned. "Well, that's really impressive. You've got a cool thing going on here"

"I know. Thank you."

A strange silence spread across them. Hazel spread butter on a breadstick.

"Butter?".

"Thanks." Jason grabbed the plate. "Piper?"

She shook her head. Annabeth stood up, dragging the chair with her. She clapped her hands.

"Do you want me to show you to your rooms?"

Piper jumped to her feet. "Yes! I'm tired. We're tired, aren't we? Jason?"

Jason had his mouth open, the bread half in his mouth. He frowned. "Yeah, but I'm eating first."

Hazel chuckled. "You can take it with you." She stood up as well and stroked her jacket straight. She gave Annabeth a nod. "I've got work to do."

"I've got it. Say hi to Frank!"

"I will if I find him."

* * *

><p><strong>P<strong>iper paced across the room, her hands flailing around to express herself stronger. Meanwhile, Jason sat on his bed, getting out of his shoes and polishing his glasses.

"Are you listening to me, Jason?"

"Yes, I AM, Piper." He put his glasses on top of his nose and leaned back. "I still don't get what the fuss is all about!"

"So you _didn't_ listen to me."

"Piper…"

"No!" She huffed, clenching her fist. "Look, it's not me being paranoid. It's just… didn't it bother you how… secretive Hazel and Annabeth were around us?"

He shrugged. "So what? They were surprised to see us! Besides, you would be careful to if you were rebuilding a city."

She laughed coldly. "Not if I was dealing with old _friends_, Jason!"

Jason closed his eyes and sighed as he tried not to get angry.

"Piper, I think… are you angry at them because they didn't welcome us like you expected?".

Piper stopped her frantic pacing.

"No…" She shook her head at Jason's raised eyebrow. "No. It's not that."

"They were being secretive, Piper, because… it's been six years. Piper." Jason's eyes turned sad, nostalgic at the memory of the past. "People change. We're not the same people we used to be."

She turned her back on him. It was silent for a few moments and he began to ask himself if he should stand up and hug her.

"I know…", she whispered so softly he almost didn't hear. "But that's not why I'm so…so… why I have this strange, bad feeling." She swallowed heavily and turned to her boyfriend, her eyes were glassy. "No one hides good things. And they are hiding something big, Jason."

Jason sighed. He raised his arms and beckoned her to come to him. She did and they hugged.

"I know how you feel, Piper.", he said softly. "I don't like how much we've grown apart from the others either, you know?" He looked deeply into her eyes. "But just because you- just because we don't understand why they are behaving like this, doesn't mean they're doing or hiding something bad."

Piper sighed and moved away from him. She heard Jason sigh again. He did that a lot lately. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and headed to the door.

"I need fresh air."

Piper did not go outside. Angry because Jason didn't seem to want to understand her and angry at Hazel and Annabeth, who treated them like strangers, she left Jason's room with the plan to have a look at the house they were staying in.

Annabeth had mentioned she and the others lived here, but spent most of their time outside because there was so much work to do. Annabeth was the only one, who often stayed behind to manage the city.

Piper walked down the stairs to the second floor. She knew Annabeth lived there. A shiver ran up her spine and Piper rubbed her arms. She looked around and was not surprised to see an open window. She got closer to shut it, but froze when a black bird with a white belly landed on the window ledge. The bird froze as well, staring at her with its dark eyes before it flew off again.

Piper leaned out of the window, frowning to identify the animal in the darkness of the night. Her face fell and she lowered her head as she sighed. She ran a hand over her face.

"Mother, what's going on here?", she whispered into the night, hoping desperately her mother would appear next to her. "I need your help… am I… am I making everything up? I-is there something wrong with me?"

She tensed when a pair of arms embraced her from behind.

"There's nothing wrong with you, Piper", Jason whispered into her ear.

Suddenly all strenght left her body and he had to hold her, before she dropped to the floor. He held her closely. She returned the hug.

"Oh, Jason…", she cried as tears spilled from her eyes.

He stroked her dark hair, gently shushing her. "It's going to be okay. You'll see."

She nodded, still crying.

"It's everything alright?"

The couple let go of each other and Jason, turning to Hazel, said:

"It's been a rough day."

She nodded, glancing at Piper worriedly. "You should go to sleep.", she suggested. "We'll show you around tomorrow."

Jason smiled. "That would be nice. We're looking forward to it."

Hazel smiled. "Good night". The tone in her voice told them that it was time to go to their rooms.

"Come on.", he said softly to Piper. "I'll stay with you if you want."

She smiled weakly. "I'm sorry, Jason."

"It's okay. We'll talk tomorrow."

"But you did well", she said. "When you talked to her. You sure you aren't a charmspeaker?"

He laughed. "I'm sure."

"Well, she certainly didn't insist on knowing why I was there."

"She probably didn't want to complicate things any further. Besides, people believe what you tell them if it's what they want to hear."

She smiled.

"But that's why you're so scary-"

"I'm scary?"

"Yeah! Imagine how horrifying it must be, to be told to do something and you do it even if you don't want to!"

"I- I guess it is terrifying. I never thought about it that way.", she mused. "I only ever-"

"-use it when it's necessary?"

"Yeah"

"And that's why I'm so glad you're on my side.", Jason explained as they walked into her room. "Because bad people have used their power before, because they thought it was necessary."

"You're scaring me", she said jokingly, but turned serious. "I really hope I won't turn into that."

He put a hand on her shoulder. "I won't let that happen to you. But only if you do the same with me."

She smiled and met his eyes. "Deal."

They slept in. When Piper woke up, she was confused as to where she was. But a few seconds passed and she remembered where she and Jason where.

Piper ran a hand through her hair as she eyed herself in the mirror. Her eyes were reddened a little from sleep. They had slept long and soundly, no nightmare disturbed their sleep. And yet Piper felt more tired than the night before.

„You coming, Piper?" Jason stood already at the door. His hair was damp from the shower he'd taken a few minutes before.

She smiled tiredly. „Yeah. Go ahead. I'll be right with you."

He gave a short nod and left.

Piper sighed, then wondered why she hadn't left with him.

She opened the door and stepped out to the hall. The door fell closed behind her as she walked down the hallway, heading down the stairs. As she walked down, Piper heard someone's steps getting closer. Instinctively, Piper leaned her back against the inner wall and carefully and quietly peeked around the wall.

Her breath caught in her throat and a smile graced her lips. She recognized the figure. She would have recognized him even if she hadn't met him before. The greek campers still gushed about him once in a while.

He stomped up the staircase, but he turned left when he reached the first floor. Percy looked the same as ever, his facial features were only more pronounced, making him look astoundingly similar to his father.

Piper shortly wondered if the gods had any say in their children's appareances.

Percy had a light stubble, his eyes gleamed green in the morning light.

She shook herself from her stupor and raced down the stairs.

"Percy!", she yelled.

He didn't listen. He opened a door and was about to close it, when Piper threw herself against the door.

"Percy!", she cried. „Wait! It's me!"

Suddenly a great, unfamiliar and frightening force gripped her from the inside of her body and shoved her against the wall. The door closed. Percy wasn't there.

Piper kneeled against the wall. Her breathing was ragged, she couldn't move. Tears welled in her eyes. She began to wonder if she had just imagined Percy, but she discarded that thought. She was 100% sure Percy had not been a product of her imagination.

She brushed the tears from her eyes and struggled to her feet. A strangled sob escaped her throat, but she bit her lip to stop her crying.

Piper walked down the stairs, feeling like the world had conspired against her. First Hazel, then Annabeth and now Percy. Next would be Frank.

She took her deep breath before she entered the dining hall. Jason, Hazel and Annabeth were having a conversation about the architecture of the city and Piper longed to join them. She brushed the tears away, she forced a smile that would convince even the most decieving and intelligent god and greeted her friends.

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><p><strong>I'm very pleased with how the chapter ended. The beginning was a pain to write, but I felt that the more I wrote , the easier the rest of this chapter got.<strong>

**Please tell me what you think! Your reviews are really encouraging and it motivates me to write.**


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